Beelitz Heilstätten: Forest and Industrial Heritage

Beelitz Heilstätten combines a distinctive woodland landscape with a history of engineering and architecture. The “Baum & Zeit” treetop walk crosses the Alpenhaus, a World War I ruin; the heating and power plant defines the historic complex. When planning your visit, you can consider three different highlights: the views from the walk, guided tours of parts of the site, and the cycling tour starting at Beelitz-Heilstätten station.

Treetop walk above the canopy

The “Baum & Zeit” treetop walk, which is more than 700 metres long, crosses the Alpenhaus. A unique canopy forest has been growing on the roof of this World War I ruin since 1945. Three quarters of the old-growth forest have also been preserved in the parkland around Beelitz Heilstätten. As you walk along the path, you will see both the overgrown ruin and the preserved old forest as defining features of the landscape.

The tower on the path has five large viewing platforms; the topmost one can be reached by lift. The treetop walk’s total height to the top edge of the viewing platform is 40.50 metres. This is distinct from the site’s elevation of 67.40 metres above sea level: the two figures refer to different points of measurement.

The heating and power plant and the history of the complex

The heating and power plant is considered the landmark and centrepiece of the historic complex in Beelitz Heilstätten. Its water tower is 41 metres high. The plant is also the oldest energy centre of its kind in Germany: it combines a district heating plant with an electricity generating station. This makes engineering and architecture the focus at the same historic site.

The period in which the complex was built also shapes the history of the sanatorium. During its founding and construction phase, from 1898 to 1902, it was shaped by a leading architect. Together with the heating and power plant and the treetop walk, this architectural history offers another perspective on the site. If you are especially interested in the surviving buildings, you can include a guided tour of the Forest Park and buildings in your visit plans.

Guided tours and access to the facilities

Visitors can take guided tours of the Forest Park and the surviving buildings in Beelitz Heilstätten. Most of the facilities can only be accessed as part of guided tours and/or events; conditions may vary from one facility to another. If you have a particular building in mind, check its access conditions in advance and find out whether a visit is possible as part of a guided tour or event. This lets you match your plans with the access arrangements for the site in question.

The Tour de Beelitz by bike

The “Tour de Beelitz” cycling route starts and ends at Beelitz-Heilstätten station. It is about 22 kilometres long and follows a flat route. Along the way, it takes you over forest and sandy paths, as well as some paved sections. This gives you an approximate distance and information about the terrain and path surfaces. Check the route description locally before setting off, as recommended for this route.

Historical highlights in the wider Beelitz destination

The wider Beelitz destination has further historical highlights to discover. Beelitz’s parish church was first mentioned in a document in 1247 and was originally a Romanesque pillar basilica built from dressed fieldstone. The Miracle of the Blood legend made Beelitz the first pilgrimage site in the region east of the Elbe and possibly in the German-speaking world as well. A chapel was built around 1340.

Beelitz’s old town, around 800 years old and home to historic buildings, invites you to explore. The Ernst Vogel watermill is located on Mühlenstraße, at the edge of the old town. The history of asparagus is also part of the wider destination: in 1861, Beelitz smallholder Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Herrmann was the first to cultivate asparagus on a commercial scale; other Beelitz residents gradually followed his example.

Discover more destinations: Fichtenwalde.

View the wider travel guide: Beelitz.